Carving platter



June 28, 1960 A. L. MARGOLIS 2,942,639

CARVING PLATTER Filed March 24, 1958 INVENTOR. as H ARTHUR L. MARGOUSUnited States Patent 2,942,639 CARVING PLATTER Arthur L. Margolis,Glencoe, 11]., assignor to The Dearborn Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 723,211

9 Claims. (Cl. 146215) This invention relates to an improved carvingplatter or the like, and more specifically relates to an improvedcarving platter of the type having spike-like impaling means extendingfrom the carving surface thereof.

Carving platters of the type having spike-like impaling means extendingfrom the carving surface thereof are well known. When storing thedevice, it is impossible to stack other boxes, or dishes, or pieces, onthe platter as the spikes either fail to provide a firm support or mayscratch or otherwise damage the part resting thereon.

Another deficiency in existing platters has been observed in that, whenone handles the carving platter, frequently the handler may scratchhimself on the sharpened impaling spikes, and this is a source of greatannoyance which is associated with existing carving platters.

Thus, one object of this invention is to provide a spiked carvingplatter wherein the spiked impaling means thereof may be selectivelyadvanced to an operative impaling position or may be selectivelyretracted to a non-protruding position below the carving surface of theplatter, so as to avoid the deficiencies above noted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedcarving platter which not only avoids the aforenoted deficienciesheretofore found in carving platters but at the same time provides acarving platter that is characterized by its simplicity of constructionand its efiiciency of operation.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and the features of novelty whichcharacterize this invention Will be pointed out with particularity inthe claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a carving platter embodying myinvention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation View, with portions in verticalcross-section through the impaling spike means of the platter.

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the spiked, impalingmeans shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-section view, with parts broken away, takensubstantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

' Figure 5 is a top plan view of a two-spike type impaling means.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a modified form of impaling means showinga single-spiked impaler.

Figure 7 is a cross-section view taken on line 77 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section view of a portion of animpaling means, showing a further modification of construction.

'Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a carvingplatter generally indicated at 10, which comprises a carving board 12 ofgenerally rectangular con figuration provided with four support legs 14depending from the carving board 12 and spaced at the corners vi ethereof. The carving board 12 provides an upper carving surface 16,which is surrounded by a peripheral gutter means 18 for receivingdrainage from the carving surface. The arrangement of the legs 14relative to the plane of the carving surface 16 is such that when thecarving platter 10 is positioned on a horizontal surface, the board isslightly inclined so that drainage from surface 16 and which may bereceived by gutter 18 will gravitate toward an enlargeddrainage-receiving well 20 formed at one end of the platter.

Within the confines of the carving surface 16 there is formed adepressed, branched, gutter means 22 including a main gutter 24 and aplurality of branch gutters 26 which radiate from and drain into maingutter 24. The gutter 24 is arranged for emptying into thedrainage-receiving Well 20, as seen in Figure 1.

There is provided a plurality of material-impaling means carried on thecarving board, said impaling means being interstrially disposed relativeto the branched gutter means 2426. The impaling means are morespecifically seen in Figures 2 to 4, and each impaling unit includes afemale-threaded tubular insert 30 which is press-fit into a verticalbore formed in the carving board 12 so that the upper end of the tubularinsert 30 lies substantially flush with the carving surface 16. There isremovably positioned in the threaded tubular insert 30 a threaded plugmember 32 having impaling spikes 34 extending upwardly therefrom, andhaving a stem 36 with a head 38 extending downwardly therefrom. The stem36 may be formed integral with plug member 32 and spikes 34 may beconnected in any appropriate manner to plug 32, such as by beingpress-fit into bores therein or being studwelded thereto.

The plug 32 may be selectively manipulated through stem 36 to anuppermost, operative, position in which the impaling spikes 34 extendingupwardly from the carving surface 16, as seen in Figure 1, for thepurpose of having the material to be carved impaled thereon. In theirretracted position, the impaling means 34 are wholly Withdrawn, to beinoperative, below the plane of the carving surface 16, as seen indetail in the cross-sectional view on the left portion of Figure 2.

The length, of the stem 36 with the head 38 thereon is such that whenthe plug 32 is in its operative position with the impaling means 34extending upwardly from the carving surface 16, then the head 38 of stem36 extends below the lowermost reach of tubular insert 30, so that onemay still grasp head 38 to effect manipulation of the plug 34. The underportion of board 12 is recessed at 39 adjacent the lower end of insert30 to accommodate grasping of head 38. It is also seen that the spacingof the carving board 12 above the plane of the lower terminus of thesupport legs 14 is such, and the length of stem 36 with head 38 thereonis such, and the length of insert 30 is such that when the plug 32 is inits retracted position with the impaling means positioned wholly belowthe plane of the carving surface 16, then the plug 32 is still threadedto insert 30 and the lowermost reach of head 38 on stem 36 is stillspaced above the plane of the support surface, so that there is nointerference by head 38 with the support surface when the impaling meansare in retracted position.

Means are provided for insuring a substantially leakproof connectionbetween the plug 32 and the tubular insert 30 when the impaling spikes34 are in their operatively extended position. One such means ofinsuring against leakage is to provide a plurality of close-fittingthreads between the plug 32 and the tubular casing 30, and by providingfine machine threads with a close fit, a substantially leak-proofconnection is attained. As an alternative construction, as seen inFigure 8, there is provided a sealing gasket in the form of an O-ring 423'5 and arranged to engage a shoulder 46 formed on plug member 32, toeifect a seal to prevent leakage between the plug 32 and tubular insert30.

7 T er ealso provided stop means, for limiting the upper axial movementof the plug 32 relativewlto 'tubnl'ar insert 30 when the spikemeans havebeen advanced to their'uppermost, operative position. A' number offalter]- nateiorms of such stop means are disclosed herein, 1111 thepreferred form, the tubular insert 30 is {mined with an inturned annularflange-48 at its upper end, andthe plug member 32. is formed with acooperating shoulder for complementary mating with the intu'rnedjlange48. As best seen in Figure '4, when the plug member abuts e wa ly extnding-fl nge 48 e s ppe t p JQ p u membe fi i d sr dia l s a nne h h lrni us c mam); 'fli rgvi n t v fl sur ce t th c ries su a It will beseen that the flang e'its the movement of the plug 32 only'in the upwarddirection; I

An alternative stop means is shownjn Figure7 where in the head 38. onthe stem member 3 6' is of greater diameter than the lower terminusofthe, tubular insert 30 and is adapted to engage the lower termi-nus ofthe insert 30 at a point where the impaling point 34' extends fully fromthe upper terminus of the tubular insert 30.

Figure 3 illustrates the triangular" arrangement of im paling spikes 34about the center of plug 32 when three spikes are provided on a plug32;}Figuref7 illustrates theaxial arrangement of a single spike when'a'single spike '34 extends from plug 32; and Figure 5 illustrates thediametrical disposition of spikes when a pair of impaling spikes 34"extend from plug member'32",l 'Any of the various impaling units hereindisclosed may he used in any combination, as desired, on acarving-board. It will be seen from the foregoingthat there hasbeen"provided an improved carving platter whereinfthe' mathe carving surfacebf'thej platter.

While there has been shown -and;deseribed a particular embodiment 'ofthis inventionyifwill '-be obvious -to those skilled in the art thatvarious chan'ges' and modifications maybe made therein without departingfrom the invention and, therefore, it is intended inthe-a'pp'endediclaims to cover all such changes and modifications astall wit hin the true spirit and scope of thejinvention. I e

What I claim as new, anddesire to-seeureby Letters- Patent of-the'United States,- is;- e f --1. A carving platter comp fising, incombination, means defining a substantially'imperforate carving boardwhich rprovides'thereon a carving surface with gutter means therein fordraining the carving surface; and material impaling means carried onsaid carving board, said impaling means including at leastioriefemale-threaded tubu- V spikes aresfully retracted below the plan'elofthe carving surface.

2; A carving platter comprising, inlcombinatiommeans defining asubstantiallyimperforate zcarving board which --provides".thereon acarving surfacewith :guttertmeans therein for draining the carvingsurface; spaced support means dependingfromsaid;carvingiboardafor;spacing ihe .;carving board :above arslupportiisurfacei; :and material- Vimpaling means carried 10!] lsaidcarving :board, saidaimlar insert extending through the board andterminati g at its upper end substantially in the plane of the carvingsurface, an elongated impaling-spike-carrying plug'threaded in saidtubular insert and being selectively positionable axially in anoperative position, wherein the impaling-spikes extend upwardly from thecarving surface, or in an inoperative position, wherein theimpaling-spikes are fully retracted below .the vplane of the carvingsurface, said plug having a manipulable stem extending therefromoppositely of saidimpaling-fspikes, the length of said stem being suchthat when the plug is in said operative position, said stem extendsbelow thelower end 'of the tubular insert to be grasped, and when theimpaling-spikes z are fully r etracte d thelower end of the stem isspaced above, the plane of, the terminus of the platters support means,so thatthe 'platter may be positioned on a support surface withoutinterference with the stem of the impaling means.

3. Impaling-spike means for a carving plattercomprising, in combination,"an axially elongated fenralethreaded annular cas ng, a male plugthreaded'iiisaid female casing, a manually operable, headed stemc'arried bysaid plug and extending outwardly of said female casing forall positions of the plug in said casing, at least one impaling-spikecarried by said plug and extend ing therefrom in a direction oppositefrom said headed stem, means providing a substantially leak-proofconnection between the plug and easing when the impalingspike is in itsoperative, extended, condition,'-and stop means including a portion ofsaid casing for limiting advancing axial movement of the plug relativeto'the annular casingtwhen the impaling-spike means carried by the plughas been advanced to its operative position. i 4. Impaling-spike means.for a carving platter comprising, in combination, an axially elongatedfemalethreaded annular casing, a male plug threadedli'n said femalecasing, a manually operable stem carried by said plug and extendingoutwardly of-said femaleca'sing :for all positions of the plugin saidcasing, atleast Joneairnpaling-spike carried by said plug and extendingtherefrom in a direction opposite from said stem, the axial length ofsaid annular casing :beingsuch thattthe impaling-spikejs carried by theplug :may the withdrawn to a position located intermediate the ends ofthe annular casing while the plug i's still threaded to the annular 1and plug for assistingzin effecting-said substantially leakpaling meansincluding ;at s-least gnie female-threaded tubufree connection thereb'etween 7. An impaling-spike means as s'et' forth in claim 3, wherein saidstop means including means ,on said plug .girrangedtoengage one' end ofsaid casing; g

8. ,An .impaling-spike means as set forth in claim 3, wherein said stopmeans including, an intumedlip at one .end ofthe casingfand meanson theplug for engaging said inturned lip. '1

9'. An impaling-spike means as :set iforth in claim 3, wherein .saidstop means includesan enlarged head on saidstem adapted to abut one endof thqeannular easing.

References Cited intheiile ofthis patent UNITED srAras rEN'rs

